Community Life
Week of March 29th, 2026
Annual Business Meeting 2025 - This Sunday, March 29 @6pm
We are hosting our annual time to gather to discuss what we believe God is calling us to in the year to come and vote on a spending plan to support that. We will also be welcoming new members as well as voting on new Council members. Everyone's voice is always welcome and members vote.
Please plan on joining us especially if you’ve never been to one of these meetings. We’d love to see you and experience this part of church life together. Childcare will be available. Please let Pastor Diane know if you will be bringing your kids so she can plan accordingly.
Click here to see an overview of the proposed 2026-2027 budget.
Council Candidates
While full bios will be shared at our Annual Meeting, Council wanted to honor the request at the most recent Coffee with Council to share the full candidate list as soon as possible. We are grateful to Jeremy Siemers, Tom French, Laura Poynter, and Krystal Langholz for being willing to serve on the Council. We are grateful for everyone who thoughtfully and prayerfully considered service on Council and our Thrive teams.
Celebrations and Opportunities
Pastor Diane's Sabbatical -- June 29 - August 24
Pastor Diane Borden has served Council Tree for nearly twenty years (minus the time she was finishing her seminary degree and a short stint in Connecticut). We are very thankful for her faithful service to our kids and to our body. Part of God's design for life is healthy rhythms and it is time for Diane to enter into a season of rest and take a sabbatical this summer. A sabbatical is not a reward — it’s a necessity. It’s a sacred time to reconnect with God, recharge emotionally and spiritually, and return with renewed vision. Diane has earned this 8-week sabbatical — and we are honoring her by giving her the space to be refreshed, so she can continue to lead with joy for years to come. Please click here to read more about what a sabbatical is and what this time away will look like for Diane and for Council Tree.
In order to ensure that our kids are cared for well in Diane's absence, we will need anybody who can to step up in volunteering to love on our kids. If you are available to serve once a month with our kids, or even occasionally, please reach out to Diane to see where you might fit in. We'll have more information soon about a summer sabbatical replacement, so stay tuned!
Part-Time Ministry Assistant and Volunteer Needs
We were excited to announce on Sunday that our current Ministry Assistant, Stacy Petersen, will be transitioning to a new role here at Council Tree. You can read more about the transition here. We are all grateful for the time and effort that Stacy has put into her current role in her three years in that position, and are eager to see what God has next for Stacy and Council Tree.
If you would like to apply for the Part-Time Ministry Assistant Role, please see the job description here and send your resume to Stacy. We are also looking to build a team of office support volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering just a few hours a week in the church office, please reach out to Stacy to discuss what opportunities might be a good fit for you.
Communications Team
We are in the process of building a new Communications Team at Council Tree. This team will be responsible for ensuring that our church's message will be shared clearly, creatively, and consistently. We will be responsible for the church website, social media, the weekly newsletter, and all other creative ways to keep our congregation informed as well as to help new members get integrated into our community. If you are interested in sharing your gifts and energies with this team, please reach out to Paula Beaty at paulabeaty1@comcast.net.
Holy Week at Council Tree
Art at the Garden: Voices of Hope
We will have two opportunities after the services on March 22 & 29 to create materials to be added to the outdoor collage that we will be creating again this year on the theme of HOPE. See the full announcement below for more information.
Good Friday
We have the tremendous opportunity to worship alongside our sister (and planting) church. We will hold a joint worship service with Lifespring Covenant Church on Good Friday at their church in Loveland. This is a collaborative effort and we're truly grateful for Lifespring's partnership in the gospel in Northern CO. Please plan on attending this service with us at 7:00pm on Friday, April 3 at Lifespring Covenant Church in Loveland.
Childcare will be available. Please RSVP to office@lifespringchurch.org no later than March 25th if you plan to bring kids.
Easter Sunday
We will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Sunday, April 5 at 10:00am here at Council Tree. Easter Sunday reminds us of the new life we have in Christ and that death does not have the final word. Come live into the hope of the gospel and worship with us at our normal worship time on Easter Sunday.
Art at the Garden: Voices of HOPE
Here at Council Tree, we believe the church is uniquely positioned to speak hope into the areas of hopelessness in our own lives and the lives of those in our community. Despite a season in which hope might feel hard to find, we know that God is still with us, still moving among us.
We invite everybody, regardless of age or artistic ability, to contribute to our Art at the Garden: Voices of Hope community collaborative art project this year. You can read more about the heart behind this project here. We will have opportunities to create materials for the collaborative collage after the services on March 22nd and 29th. If you are interested in helping to prep the letters for display, please contact Stacy with your availability.
Upcoming Christian Formation Classes
After finishing up the current class that is looking at Worship Songs & Hymns, we will have two more offerings this spring before taking a summer break. Click here to find out more about these upcoming classes.
Sundays, April 12th - 19th - Dead Sea Scrolls – What are they and why are they important?
Sundays, April 26th - May 17th - Kids Christian Books
Pray With Us - Mondays @7:15pm
Join us Monday evenings in the Prayer Room to pray for Council Tree during this time of transition. Contact Anna Lachelt with questions.
Proposed 2026-2027 Budget
At the Annual Meeting on March 29th, we will discuss the proposal for Council Tree’s financial budget for the fiscal year ahead. Below is the very high-level summary of how we project to finish this year compared to budget and the proposed financial outlook for April 2026 through March 2027. The Key takeaway is that we are moving from a significant deficit to a balanced budget through strategic adjustments. To see more details please review the slides in this link.
As always if you have questions please reach out –
Sarah
sarahk@stackfam.com
970.214.5209
Lenten Sermon Series: “Journey to the Cross”
Starting March 8th, we’re launching a powerful 4-week sermon series based on Journey to the Cross: Devotions for Lent by Haug & Walker — guiding us through Christ’s final week with Scripture, reflection, and heart-level truth. We encourage you to get a copy and use it alongside the sermons for a richer, more personal Lenten journey.
Upcoming Preaching Schedule
March 29 - Lexi Lang
April 5 - David Williams
April 12 - Lexi Lang
April 19 - Bret Widman
April 26 - Dan Raymond
May 3 - Lexi Lang
Save the Date
Mark your calendars for these upcoming Council Tree events:
March 29 - Worship Songs and Hymns: Adding Depth and Meaning to Our Worship, Sundays @9am
March 29 - Annual Business Meeting, Sunday @6pm
April 3 - Good Friday, @7pm at LifeSpring Covenant Church
April 5 - Easter Sunday Service, @10am
April 12-19 - The Dead Sea Scrolls, Sundays @9am
April 12 - Luncheon for Lam Brock, after the service
April 18 - The Kingdom of God in an Age of Polarization - Seminar with Bret Widman from North Park Theological Seminary, Saturday @2-5pm
April 26-May 17 - Kids Christian Books, Sundays @9am
Volunteer Opportunities
From the beginning of creation, God established holy rhythms of life and service for those who follow in God’s path. We each have personal seasons of rest and restoration, and of new life and service. Council Tree encourages spiritual wondering alongside the Holy Spirit to discern what spiritual season you may be in.
If you find yourself in a place where you have margin to serve, we could definitely use your gifts! If you feel God is calling you to explore serving, we would encourage you to start an exploratory conversation with a team lead to find out more.
Click here to find out some of the many serving opportunities that are currently available.
Give Online
If you would like to give online click here.
Weekly Email
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